Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-10-08
Healing wounGk by Mental lmpres-
SiOns.

From the Science.
Professor Delboeuf, OF uege, IS certainly the
most versatile Of living investigators, when one
considers the great originality and suggestiveness
OF all the work he does Ancient and
modern languages, logic, general physics
and physiology, and especially experimental
psychology, have received his attention
by turns. His latest contrbution n to thera-
peutics and Is a communication made on June 4
to the Belgian Academy, which will probably turn
our to be OF the greatest theoretical as well as
We all are familiar with accounts OF the wounds
inflicted on themselves by African dervtshes: but
the statement which the narrators always make,
that the wounds do not 1nfiame, or may even
probably often tends to discrrdit their whole
servations now make these stories wholly pausl-
BILE. 1t is well established that In certain hypnot.
to part Of their body cautery or blister is ap-
actual vesication Of the skin The hallucinatory
from this that the feeling Of pain,
Itself ba an nfammatory irritant. and went on to
infer that the abolition OF 1t from an actual
wound ought to accelerate its healing. He imme-
he had made anmsthetic and in whom he
had often admired the rapidity with which the
6s and
SO lar as they so, seem TO verify his HYPOTHESIS
perfectly. On young woman whom he cOuld
make 1nSensible by suggestion, he marked TWO
corresponding spots, one on each arm, and made
on each an identical burn with the hot iron, an
nounclng to the patient that the one on the right
should not be felt. The suggestion took effect;
ana the next day when the bandages
were taken of and the lett arm presented
centimeters In diameter, the right arm showed
only clean ScOrch OF the shin OF the exact size OF
tne iron g milimeterS diameter), without reduces
or Inflammation. On another subject similar re-
suits were obtained with burns and blisters, the
spots chosen being near together ON the same arm
or on the neck. The experiments are few in number
and ought TO be multiplied; but the reader Will
Immediately see the vista which they open. Many
OF the results OF the "mind cure" and the strange
Iact, SO long known, OF opium controlling influm-
mailOns, are explained by NJ. DelbOeufS principle
30 is the popular belief In hardening" ones SELF
py Little Observation-Disclosures and neglect OF ones
condition. Local pain is useful In leading US to
protect the wounded part from mechanical abfa1-
sion Several OF N. Delboeurs experiments were in
conclusive, because the subjects, being insensible
at the seat OF their injuries, allowed them to get
scraped, &C.. but 1t has the drawback OF exciting
renex changes OF nutrition OF an unfavOrable
KIND. AnRsthetizing wound prevents these
rehex Changes NJ. Delboeuf suggesting TO very
sensitive subject that she should not feel severe
0ental operation, was assured by the dentist that
what he found most extraordinary in the whole
performance was the absence OF the salivary Sc
crelion which would usually have accom-
panied 1t.
II Is to be hoped that Others with better facili-
tles 1or surgical experimentation than professor
OF classical literature like NJ. Delboeuf will follow
tne example he has so happily set them.